When working in any confined space, there are bound to be disagreements and stresses, particularly if you’re not used to working in a team or with a number of different people. When entering the workplace, it is important that you maintain a professional relationship with your colleagues for the time you are there, but a clean workplace makes this much easier to do.
As an employer, you may be responsible for two to three people or you may be responsible for a hundred people, but their happiness is your priority as happy employees get good results in any business. A clean working environment is one of the basic needs of any good office or other workplace, so take a look at our four top reasons why and how a clean office will help workplace productivity.
- A Clear Environment Helps Reduce Stress
If you’re boxed into a tiny workspace with mess and bad smells all around you, you are more likely to feel pressure from any job. Working becomes a chore, as you work in an unpleasant environment that makes you look ever forward to that clock ticking down to 5pm. It is important that your employees feel at home or at least comfortable when at work, so clearing their working environment helps greatly to reduce stress on their part.
- Clutter Can Be Distracting
Time spent cleaning and organising is time spent not working, as some would say. However clutter can be incredibly distracting, especially if you have to look for a particular document in among the hubbub. Your average employer will be prone to some distractions naturally, but they certainly don’t want unnecessary clutter making things worse. By keeping the space clear, either through workplace teamwork or with the help of an office cleaner, you help reduce these office distractions, leaving your employees with more time for the important things; work.
- Fresh Scents to Improve Productivity
Certain scents have an effect on both our concentration and the quality of the work we produce. Bad smells are also more likely to distract us from the task at hand, and if it is a difficult or lengthy task, it can take some time to get your mojo back. Some of the best scents to aid concentration are already used in many cleaning products. Lemon, for example, has calming and clarifying properties, which is ideal in any busy office environment.
As certain flavoured teas help you with concentration and dealing with work levels, so certain scents can help positively or negatively towards your concentration. Many people find unsightly kitchen smells such as tuna or garlic distracting and upsetting, so a good air freshener or some scented wipes to help clear the air will really do a world of good.
- Better Organisation – Better Productivity
It might sound a little silly but it is proven that if your office or workspace in general is well organised, you are more productive. People spend less time worrying about unclear or complicated procedures and spend more time getting work done and being productive. Even something as having a simple process for every document helps to increase productivity, so having a place for everything and everything in its place when it comes to being clean in the office can help productivity immensely.
While there are only so many lengths you can go to encourage office productivity, having an uncomfortable and unhygienic environment can seriously affect the way your employees work, so it is important to keep the workspace in good clean, conditions at all times where possible. Happy workers are productive workers, so as an employer you should be taking steps to improve the experience of your employees wherever possible and a clean working environment is just one step. You could see an immense change in the productivity of your office simply by hiring a weekly or evening cleaner. Give it a go and see the difference.
Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer in the property and design industry – working together with a selection of companies including South East England-based furniture specialist Whiteleys Office Furniture, who were consulted over the information contained in this piece.
Leave a Reply